Palace extends sympathies to Robredo over death of mother

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Sunday extended its sympathies to Vice President Leni Robredo whose mother, longtime educator Salvacion Santo Tomas Gerona, died on Saturday at the age of 83.

“We understand that Sally, as she was fondly called by her loved ones, was a selfless and dedicated teacher who molded countless of young minds across generations,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

The Vice President confirmed her mother’s passin on her personal Facebook account on Saturday night, saying that her mother had “breathed her last” at 7:27 p.m.

Gerona was an English professor at the Universidad de Santa Isabel in Naga City, one of the oldest schools in the country. This was also where Robredo completed her grade school and high school education.

In a Facebook post in 2018, Robredo said her mother was a teacher all her life, starting at the age of 18 and even years after her retirement.

“She was also adviser of the school paper, drama teacher and ballet dancer,” the Vice President wrote. “She had grandiose plans after her retirement at the age of 65, but perhaps, because she has been working all her life, she immediately went back to teaching after resting for a few months.”

Gerona was married to Naga City Regional Trial Court Judge Antonio Nicomedes Gerona Sr., who passed away in October 2013. Robredo was the eldest of three children.